CHENNAI: Terming it a temporary parting of ways with the AIADMK, BJP state president K Annamalai on Monday said that his party would contest alone in the upcoming urban local body polls in Tamil Nadu. He, however, added that the AIADMK-BJP alliance will continue at the national level and for the 2024 Lok Sabha polls.
Talking to reporters at the BJP headquarters in Chennai, Annamalai said his party leaders and workers were keen to contest in as many seats as possible. “We won’t say it is a difficult decision. An opportunity must be given to the workers at the grassroots who work relentlessly for the party. It is the decision of the leadership to heed to their views and which has been accepted wholeheartedly by the national leadership,” Annamalai said.
The AIADMK was not willing to concede more than 10% of seats, even as the BJP’s demand was to get at least 20% of seats in the urban local bodies, corporations, municipalities and town panchayats. While the decision to go it alone was made on Saturday after the party’s election meeting stood divided over continuing the alliance with the AIADMK, the BJP state leadership waited for the national leaders to take a final call as they were busy in the five poll-bound states.
